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How To: Make RGB Extension Cables / Repair RGB Fan Connectors


DevBiker

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You can additionally run two fans from one connector as well. I ended up splicing two fans each into one connector with some extra pins I had from my order and ended up running a push/pull config on my rad. My rad has 6 fans on it with the intake and exhaust fan on each channel going to the same port on the lighting hub.

 

yqS0VNQh.jpg

Pins doubled up in the hub

 

zVf0mPjh.jpg

Synced fans!

 

What would you say is the most fans you could run on a single rgb led fan hub using this method? Personally I use iCue but my brother likes to use motherboard control on his rig via the jcorsair header. He plugs a rgb led fan hub in there and is able to MB control 6 QL120. The other 3 fans in his case However have to be controlled another way because There’s only one of those headers. Would this method allow 9 QL120 to go through the jcorsair header?

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  • 1 month later...

Hey really nice tutorial!

I just wanted to aks if you know it would be possible to connect an Corsair RGB Strip(with 3 Pins straight next to each other) to an Corsair RGB Hub and hoe I should do the wiring?

Otherwise if that is not possible how to do the wiring to a normal rgb header on the mainboard?(With also 3 Pins but one with a bit spacing)

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Both are possible.

PirateDog Tech has them available but here are your pinouts:

Pin 1 is marked on the connector with a triangle/arrow.

Fan:

1: +5V

2: Data Out (from Fan)

3: Data In (to fan)

4: Ground

 

Strip:

1: +5V

2: Data

3: Ground

 

So ... connecting a string to a fan hub is straightforward but ... if you just do it straight through, it'll have to be the last device on the hub. If you want to have additional devices on the hub, you have to duplicate the Data Out back to the Data In by jumping pins 2 and 3.

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  • 3 weeks later...
how will icue treat segments or strips of less than 10 leds each?

 

Just configure your lighting appropriately. For example, if you have a non-Corsair device with, say, 27 LEDs, configure as 3 strips but only apply effects to the first 27 (2 full strips + 8).

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Hey Devbiker,

I just wanted to say thankyou so much for all your help with everyone in this thread, not to mention the video.

I suspect you are in fact pirate dog tech but thats another story :p

 

Anyway hope with all this amazing info i will be able to connect my ek distro to my commander. I would buy it from PDT but its ends up being like $60Aud and I'm broke as is.

Basically just wanted to say thanks man - you're a legend!

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  • 2 weeks later...
So for example what would I need to make to convert from the 4pin connection to standard ARGB connection which Lian Li uses for example. Referring to attached picture.

 

Do you mean the Corsair 4-pin?

You should connect +5V to +5V, Data to Data and Ground to Ground.

The Data Return (back from fan) is optional if it's the last device on the hub. If you want to have something on the next port, the best that you'll be able to do is to jump Pin 2 and Pin 3 to duplicate the Data signal to the next device.

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Do you mean the Corsair 4-pin?

If you want to have something on the next port, the best that you'll be able to do is to jump Pin 2 and Pin 3 to duplicate the Data signal to the next device.

 

Yeah What I do want is sort of get a daisy chain effect. So If I have 3 fans with 12 LEDs each, I want the effects to seem like they happen sequentially from 1 fan to the next. In that case what do I do with the data return pin?

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Yeah What I do want is sort of get a daisy chain effect. So If I have 3 fans with 12 LEDs each, I want the effects to seem like they happen sequentially from 1 fan to the next. In that case what do I do with the data return pin?

 

You won't be able to do that. At all. Period. Full stop, end of story.

The 3-pin RGB fans simply do not support that type of functionality and there is absolutely, positively nothing that you can do to change that.

The only thing that you'll be able to do is to have them identical (mirrored) - in parallel.

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Well that's the thing.

 

I used this thermaltake water 3.0 ARGB 360mm radiator once. I just hooked it up to my Asus mobo 5v ARGB header, I was able to get "daisy chain" effects. Check the imgur link below for the effect. I've also given a picture of the connector on the fans.

 

https://imgur.com/a/1JADAXl

 

It won't work with typical motherboard-style connectors and the fan hub.

The 3-pin motherboard connector doesn't have the Data Out to make that happen. TT's fans do and they have a custom cable that does the daisy chain - I can see (pretty clearly) the cable that they use to achieve the daisy-chain effect. It's green.

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I can see (pretty clearly) the cable that they use to achieve the daisy-chain effect. It's green.

 

Exactly. However at the point of connection there's only 3 pins going into each fan, just like any other ARGB fan/strip. So, then how do I make this sort of cable is the question then right?

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Exactly. However at the point of connection there's only 3 pins going into each fan, just like any other ARGB fan/strip. So, then how do I make this sort of cable is the question then right?

 

You can't. If the fan itself doesn't have a Data Out, it will not work. Very few fans do. Thermaltakes do (and they have their own connector - most use a USB-style header that combines RGB and PWM). They are using that fan with a special cable to make it work. Corsairs do (and they have a connector with 4 pins). And there is a Lian Li that does (that uses 4-pin JST-SM). But fans that take, directly, the motherboard style connector do not.

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You can't. If the fan itself doesn't have a Data Out, it will not work. Very few fans do. Thermaltakes do (and they have their own connector - most use a USB-style header that combines RGB and PWM). They are using that fan with a special cable to make it work. Corsairs do (and they have a connector with 4 pins). And there is a Lian Li that does (that uses 4-pin JST-SM). But fans that take, directly, the motherboard style connector do not.

 

Ah. Got it. Which lian li fan is this do you know?

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  • 1 month later...
Do you mean the Corsair 4-pin?

You should connect +5V to +5V, Data to Data and Ground to Ground.

The Data Return (back from fan) is optional if it's the last device on the hub. If you want to have something on the next port, the best that you'll be able to do is to jump Pin 2 and Pin 3 to duplicate the Data signal to the next device.

 

So I'm doing this here, to add a strip of 16 leds (just like the LL120) and I'm adding a AsiaHorse RGB M.2 heatsink. The channel it's on already has 3 Ll120 fans.

 

The strip works fine and on it's own in full as an additional fan in icue in port 4 as a Ll120.

 

The asia horse seems to duplicate the last 5 leds of the strip. I don't know how many leds are in that unit. There are no light effects when adding a 5th fan.

 

The strip is wired as you described where I'm jumping pin 2&3.

 

Could you help me understand why that might be

Edited by kendotelie
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  • 2 weeks later...

@DevBiker,

 

Hello, I'm trying to create an adapter or extension RGB for non-corsair product. Like for example; Corsair 4 Pin Connector to Generic Led Lights or other 4 Pin Bykski (12v) RGB. Currently having a LL Node, but don't want to risk breaking the node since i don't have a spare one.

 

Can you show me schematic diagram for each connection, Like the 12V, Ground, Data Output / PWM and etc.

 

Thanks.

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@DevBiker,

 

Hello, I'm trying to create an adapter or extension RGB for non-corsair product. Like for example; Corsair 4 Pin Connector to Generic Led Lights or other 4 Pin Bykski (12v) RGB. Currently having a LL Node, but don't want to risk breaking the node since i don't have a spare one.

 

Can you show me schematic diagram for each connection, Like the 12V, Ground, Data Output / PWM and etc.

 

Thanks.

 

You can't create adapters for 12V RGB devices. Corsair is all 5V. Both the voltage and the control protocol are different. You'd need to use a Digital to Analog Convert (DAC). Solarity Tech's ArrRGB DAC does that.

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